Part 9

As to the first, we shall find that it hath proceeded, partly from the Abuse of those Laws we have, and partly from want of better; Licences for Alehouses were at first granted for good Ends, not to draw Men aside from their Labour by Games and Sports, but to support and refresh them under it; and as they were then a Maintainance to the Aged, so poor Families had Opportunities of being supplied with a Cup of Ale from Abroad, who could not keep it at Home; great Observation was also made to prevent idle Tipling, our Fore-fathers considered, that Time so spent, was a Loss to the Nation, whose Interest was improved by the Labour of its Inhabitants; whereas, Alehouses are now encouraged, to promote the Income of Excise, on whom there must be no Restraint, lest the King’s Revenue should be lessened; thus we live by Sense, and look only at Things we see, without revolving on what the Issue will be, not considering, that the Labour of each Man, if well employ’d, whilst he sits in an Ale-house, would be worth much more to the Nation, than the Excise he pays.

But above all, our Laws to set the Poor at Work are short and Defective, tending rather to maintain them so, then to raise them to a better way of Living; ’tis true, those Laws design well, but consisting only in Generals, and not reducing Things to practicable Methods, they fall short of answering their Ends, and thereby render the Poor more bold, when they know the Parish Officers are bound, either to provide them Work, or to give them Maintenance.

Now, if we delighted more in the Encouraging our Manufactures, our Poor might be better Employed, and then ’twould be a shame, for any Person capable of Labour, to live idle; which leads me to the second Consideration, What must be done to restrain this Habit of Idleness from going farther.

Here I find, that nothing but good Laws can do it, such as may provide Work for those who arc willing, and force them to work that are able; and for this use, I think Work-houses very expedient, but they must be founded on such Principles, as may employ the Poor, for which they must be fitted, and the Poor for them; wherein Employments must be provided for all sorts of People, who must also be compelled to go thither when sent, and the Work-houses to receive them; and the Materials which seem most proper for them are Simples, such as Wool, Hemp, Cotton, and the like, which may either be sent in by the Manufacturers, or be bought up on a Stock raised for that End; these will employ great Numbers, of both Sexes, and all Ages, either by beating and fitting the Hemp, or by dressing and spinning the Flax, or by carding and Spinning the Wool and Cotton, of different Finenesses; and if a Reward was given to that Person who should spin the finest Thread of either, as they do in Ireland for their Linnen, to be adjudged Yearly, and paid by the County, or by any other manner as shall be thought fit, ’twould very much promote Industry and Ingenuity, whilst every one being stir’d up by Ambition and Hopes of Profit, would endeavour to exceed the rest; by which means we should also grow more excellent in our Manufactures.

Nor should these Houses hinder any who desire to Work at Home, or the Manufacturers from employing them, the Design being to provide Places for those who care not to Work any where, and to make the Parish Officers more Industrious to find them out, when they know whither to send them, by which means they would be better able to maintain the Impotent.

It seems also convenient, that these Work-houses, when settled in Cities and great Towns, should not be only Parochial, but one or more in each Place, as will best suit it; which would prevent the Poors being sent from Parish to Parish, and provided for no where; and when once the Poor shall come by use to be in love with Labour, ’twill be strange to see an idle Person; then they will be so far from being a Burthen to the Nation, that they will become its Wealth, and their own Lives also will be more comfortable to them.

There are other things which will employ the Poor besides our Manufactures, and are also equally Beneficial to the Nation; such as Navigation, Husbandry, and Handicrafts; here if these or such-like Rules were observed, they might be made more advantagious to all.

As first, Let the Justices of the Peace have Power to assign Youth to Artificers, Husbandry, Manufacturers, and Mariners, and to bind them Apprentices for a Time certain, at such Ages as they shall think ’em fit to go on those Employments, who should also be obliged to receive them; and though this may at first seem hard, as hindring the Masters from taking Servants who may bring them Money, yet after some time it will not, when those who were so bound out themselves, shall only do for others, what was done for them before; and this also may be now made good to them, by such an Overplus of Years in their Apprentiships, as may be an Equivalent to the Money.

And as for those of elder Years, who will rather Beg than Work, let them be forced to serve the King in his Fleet, or the Merchants on board their Ships; the Sea is very good to cure sore Legs and Arms, especially such as are Counterfeits, against which, the Capstern, with the Taunts of the Sailors, is a certain Remedy.

Next, for Ale-houses, Coffee-houses, and such like Employments, let them be kept only by aged People, or such who have numerous Families.

Let Masters of Ships be obliged to carry with them some Landmen every Voyage, which will increase our Seamen; and let the Justices have Power to force them to receive such as are willing to enter themselves, and to settle the Rates of their Wages.

Let young People be prohibited from Hawking about the Streets, and from Singing Ballads; if these Things be allowed, they are fitter for Age.

Stage-Plays, Lotteries, and Gaming-houses should be strictly look’d after, Youth, in this Age of Idleness and Luxury, being not only drawn aside by them, but also more willing to put themselves on such easy ways of living, than on Labour.

These, and such like Methods, being Improved by the Wisdom of a Parliament, may tend, not only to the Introducing a Habit of Virtue amongst us, but also to the making Multitudes of People serviceable, who are now useless to the Nation; there being scarce any one, who is not capable of doing something towards his Maintenance, and what his Labour doth fall short, must be made up by Charity: but as Things now are, no Man knows where ’tis rightly plac’d, by which means those who are truly Objects do not partake thereof; and let it be consider’d, that if every Person did by his Labour add one Half-penny per diem to the Public, ’twould bring in Seven Millions six Hundred and four Thousand one Hundred Sixty-six Pounds thirteen Shillings per Annum, (accounting ten Millions of People to be in the Kingdom) so vast a sum may be raised from a Multitude, if every one adds a little.

Nor is the sending lazy People to our Plantations abroad (who can neither by good Laws be forced, or by Rewards be encourag’d to work at home) so prejudicial to the Nation as some do imagine, where they must expect another sort of Treatment, if they will not labour; ’tis true, they give no help in the Manufactures here, but That is made up in the Product they raise there, which is also Profit to the Nation; besides, the Humours and other Circumstances of People are to be enquir’d into, some have been very useful there, who would never have been so here: And if the People of this Kingdom be employ’d to the Advantage of the Community, no Matter in what part of the King’s Dominions it is; many hundreds by going to those Plantations, have become profitable Members to the Common-wealth, who, had they continued here, had still remain’d idle Drones; now they raise Sugar, Cotton, Tobacco, and other Things, which employ Sailors abroad, and Manufacturers at home, all which being the Product of Earth and Labour, I take to be the Wealth of the Nation.

The Employment of Watermen on the River Thames breeds many Sailors, and it were good to keep them still fill’d with Apprentices; also the Employment of Bargemen, Lightermen, and Trowmen, both on that and other Rivers, does the same, who should be encouraged to breed up Landmen, and fit them for the Sea.

Idleness is the Foundation of all those Vices which prevail among us, People aiming to be maintain’d any way rather than by Labour, betake themselves to all sorts of Villanies; the ill Consequences whereof cannot be prevented, but by encouraging Youth in an early delight of living by Industry, and on what they call their own, rather than by Dependance on others, which will keep up a true British Spirit, and put them on honest Endeavours, and will get them Credit and Reputation, and give them Opportunities of advancing their Fortunes; and if such an Emulation went through the Kingdom, we should not have so many lazy Beggars, or licentious Livers, as now there are; nor is God more honoured among any, than He is among such industrious People, who abhor Vice, on equal Principles of Religion and good Husbandry, Labour being usually a Barrier against Sin, which generally enter at the Doors of Idleness.

The third Consideration is, what Methods must be used to provide for those, who either are not able to work, or whose Labour can’t support their Charge; here I take Alms-houses to be good Gifts, where they are designed to relieve old Age, or educate Youth; not to maintain idle Beggars, or ease rich Parishes, but to provide for those who have been bred up in careful Employments, tho’ not able to stem the Current of cross Fortunes: Two such have been sumptuously founded, and suitably endowed, in the City of Bristol, Edward Colson, Esq; a Merchant and Native thereof, who is still living; one of them for twenty-four Men and Women, who had formerly lived well; the other for one hundred Boys, to be educated in the Principles of Vertue, and afterwards set out to Trades, whereby they may get their Livelihoods; a Charity so great in itself, and carried on so free from Ostentation, that the like is not to be seen in any Part of this Kingdom, of the free Gift of one Gentleman in his Life-time; which he hath settled in the Society of Merchants-Adventurers within that City, of whose Care and Fidelity in the well Management thereof, he is fully satisfied.

Another way to provide for those who are true Objects of Charity, is, by taking Care that the Poors Rates be made with more equality in Cities and great Towns, especially in the former; where the greatest Number of Poor usually residing together in the Suburbs or Out-parishes, are very serviceable by their Labours, to the Rich, in carrying on their Trades; yet when Age, Sickness, or a numerous Family, may make them desire Relief, their chief Dependance must be on People but one step above their own Conditions; by which means these Out-parishes are more burthened in their Payments, than the In-parishes are, though much richer, and is one Reason why they are so ill Inhabited, no Man caring to come to a certain Charge: And this is attended with another ill Consequence, the wanting of better Inhabitants making way for those Disorders which easily grow among the Poor; whereas, if Cities and Towns were made but one Poors Rate, or equally divided into more, these Inconveniencies would be removed, and the Poor be maintained by a more equal Contribution.

And that a better Provision may be made for the Relief of Sailors (who having spent their Labours in the Service of the Nation, and through Age and Disasters are no longer fit for the Fatigues of the Sea, ought to be taken Care of at Home) let a small Deduction be made from the Freights of Ships, and from Seamens Wages, to be collected by a Society of honest Men in every Sea-port; this, with what Additions might be made by the Gifts of worthy Benefactors, would be sufficient to raise a Fund, to maintain them in their old Age, who in their Youths were our Walls and Bulwarks; but it must be settled by Law, and no Man left at his Liberty whether he will pay or no; these are generally the most laborious People that we have; I do not mean those scoundrel Fellows, who often creep in under that Name, but the true Sailor, who can turn his Hand to any thing rather than begging, and I am many times troubled to see the miserable Conditions they and their Families are reduced to, when their Labours are done. Alms-Houses raised for them, are as great Acts of Piety as building of Churches, Age requires relief, especially where Youth hath been spent in Labour so profitable to the Public as that of a Sailor; and not only themselves, but their Widows ought to be provided for; in this, the Worshipful Society of the Merchants-Adventurers within the City of Bristol are a worthy Pattern.

And as for those who loose their Lives or Limbs fighting against the Enemy, themselves, or families ought to be rewarded with bountiful Stipends, which if raised by a Tax, I doubt not would be cheerfully paid: ’Tis attended with sad Thoughts, when a Woman sees her Husband prest into the Service, and knows, if he miscarries, her Family is undone, and she and they must come to the Parish; whereas, if this Provision was made, the Fleet would be more easily mann’d, our Merchants Ships better defended, Sailors more ready to serve in both, and their Wives to let them go; but great Care must be taken, that Charity be not abused, by being put into the Pockets of those who are appointed to dispose of it.

These, or such-like Heads, being laid down in a former Discourse on this Subject, the Magistrates of the City of Bristol were the first that approved of the Scheme, and desired the Substance thereof might be reduced to Particulars, suitable for that Place; whereupon the following Proposals were laid before them, viz.

1. That a spacious Work-house be erected in some vacant Place within this City, on a general Charge, large enough for the Poor who are to be employed therein, and also with Rooms for such, who being unable to work, are to be relieved by Charity.

2. That the Rules of this House be such, as may force all Persons to work, that are able, and encourage the Manufacturers of this City to supply them with Materials to work on; which they will be ready to do, having so good a Security as this will be, for their being returned to them again when wrought up.

3. That all People who are not able to maintain their Children, may put them into this Work-house or Hospital at what Ages they will, where they shall be settled till the Age of ### Years, by which means they may in the end be of no Charge to the said Work-house or Hospital: And the good Effects will be these, Children will be bred up to Labour, Principles of Virtue will be implanted in them early by the good Government thereof, and Laziness and Beggary will be discouraged.

4. That the antient People who are past their Labours, shall have Lodgings, and weekly pay, or be otherwise provided for, according to their Wants, who may still do something towards their mantenance, and the Women may look after the young Children.

5. That the Rates of the Poor of this City, being all united into one common Fund, may be enough to carry on this good Work; by which means the Magistrates will be freed from the Trouble which they daily have about the Settlement of the Poor, the Parish-Officers will be eased, the Poors Stock will not be spent in Law, but they will be provided for, without being sent from Parish to Parish, and their Children will be settled in ways of being serviceable to the Public Good, and not be bred up in all manner of Vice, as now they are.

6. That the Governors of this Hospital, or Work-House, have Power to force all poor People to work in it, who do not betake themselves to some lawful Imployment elsewhere, but spend their Time lazily and idly.